Atwater police arrest man, 33, for assaulting his 57-year-old mother

The Atwater Police Department arrested a 33-year-old man on charges of assaulting his 57-year-old mother.

On Saturday night around 10:30, officers were sent to the 1200 block of Mary Ann Drive in Atwater after a report of an assault there.

Officers arrived and were told by the victim that her son, Lucilo Montes, had been acting strangely for about a week and that the family suspected he might be under the influence of drugs, according to Detective Armando Echeverria.

She told officers the attack, which was unprovoked, saw him strike her repeatedly in the face and head and choking her before she was finally able to fend him off. At the time of the alleged attack, Montes was also caring for a two-month-old infant, who wasn’t harmed in the incident.Montes fled before officers arrived.

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On Sunday around 11 a.m., officers received information that Montes had been seen in the 900 block of Elm Street in Atwater. Officer David Walker reached the scene and Montes fled through backyards and nearby homes.

Bystanders eventually pointed him out to Walker, hiding in a dumpster of an apartment complex in the 1100 block of Fir. Walker took him into custody without further incident.

Montes, who had an outstanding warrant for an unrelated charge, was booked into Merced Main Jail on charges of felony assault, felony child endangerment and resisting arrest.

His mother was released from a local hospital and appears to be recovering, Echeverria said. The bail amount set for Montes wasn’t immediately available.